Sorting machine



W. A. HOFFMANN SORTING MACHINE Mardi 3 0; 1937.

Filed Jan. 19, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 g INVENToR. a/ Wm A TTORNEYS.

March 30,1937. WAHQFFMAN 2,075,612

SORTNG MACHINE Filed Jan. 19, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 A TTORNEYS.

March 30, 1937I w. A. HOFFMANN 2,075,612

SSORTING MACHINE Filed Jan. 19, 1955 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 FIGB. 33" m Il0l23456789 121101Z? f lsz 6mm [me s 7 a s FIGA.

IN VEN TOR.

OF COMMUTI70R5 m i A TTORNEYS.

Patented Mar. 30, 1937 UNITED STATS matiz ATENT OFFICE SORTING MACHINE tion of New York Application January 19, 1935, Serial No. 2,465 In Germany July 2, 1934 4 Claims.

This invention relates to sorting machines in general, particularly the type used to sort accounting and statistical record cards like those used in the Well known Hollerith system.

It is sometimes desired merely to inspect certain cards in a le for various things, for instance, to locate erroneously punched cards or verify data recorded on the cards. As an eX- ample, it may be discovered, on examining a statistical report, that an error or inconsistency appears with respect to cards of a certain class or group making it necessary to inspect every card of that class or group until the error or reason for the inconsistency is discovered. Where the cards are grouped so that all the cards of the pertinent class or group are collected together, it is usually a simple matter to locate the group and inspect the cards. It may happen that such is not the case but, on the contrary, the cards have been yresorted previously into ling order, as in alphabetical order, or in accordance with some other classification, so that the cards of the desired group are now so widely scattered as to require Iconsiderable time for the necessary search.

It would be possible to sort the records under control of some kind of numerical selector device which causes allcards of a predetermined `class or group to be placed in a pocket separate from other cards.. Patent No. 1,933,357 describes such a device by means of which all cards bearing a predetermined code number or serial number may be collected together in a pocket separate from the other cards.

Selecting the desired cards mechanically by means of a device like that of the above patent is opento at least two serious objections even when the number of cards in the file is only moderately large. First, the-sequence of the file 40 is broken, making it necessary to resort the cards into their original .order after the desired cards have been selected and inspected. This objection is particularly important where the cards are arranged in alphabetical order, even when the ,45 number of cards in thele is small, as alphabetical sorting is considerably slower process than sorting the cards into numerical sequence.

The second objection is the time required and the number of operations necessary to secure 50 the desired results as at least two complete and independent sorting operations must be carried out to first locate the desired cards and then restore the cards to their original order in the file. This objection is very important where the 55 le is quite large and the number of cards to be inspected small, even when the cards are not normally in alphabetical order.

Obviously, if the cards are in neither numerical order nor alphabetical order, but are arranged in some special Way, requiring a more or less complicated sorting procedure to restorer them to their original order, the cost of securing the desiredinformation becomes prohibitive whetherr the cards are sorted manually or mechanically.

It is the broad object of the present invention to provide a simple means whereby, in a single passage through the sorting machines, predetermined cards, such as those of a given class or group, may be placed in such a condition as to enable inspection of the predetermined group of cards Without disturbing the original order of the file. l

Another Objectis to provide a device for the, above purpose Which may be readily attached to existing machines without diiiculty or without requiring material Structural alterations of the machine.

Other objects, advantages and features will be pointed out in the following description and claims or will be apparent from a study of the drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a vertical longitudinal section through part of a sorting machine of conventional form.

Fig. 2 is a top plan View.

Fig. 3 is a wiring diagram of the machine.

Fig. 4 is a chart showing the timing of the commutators. i

Conveniently the invention may be illustrated andl described in connection with the machine disclosed in Patent No. 1,933,357 but the invention is not limited to either the specific form of embodiment shown or the machine in connection with which the invention is described.

Since the general operation of the machine and the multi-column selector device are amply dem scribed in the above patent, the present description will be confined almost entirely to the essentials of the device for placing the cards in condition for ready inspection of predetermined cards.

'Ihe numeral I 0 designates the usual supply hopper for the cards to be sorted, in this case the cards of a le in which certain cards are to be inspected. The cards are placed in the hopper lil face down in batches of about 800 cards, taken in order from the lile. The usual card picker I l removes the cards from the hopper one at a time and forces them between the first pair of a series of feed rollers I2 which convey the cards to the sorting pockets. The cards pass between a contact roll I3 and multi-column selector brushes I4 carried by a multi-column brush holder I5 removably mounted in a carrier I6. When ordinary sorting operations, that is, arranging cards in numerical order, or other operations requiring a single brush, are to be performed, the brush holder I5 is replaced by another having a single brush I1 (Fig. 3) as explained in the above patent.

Only one sorting pocket is shown, the so-called reject pocket, generally designated R in Fig. 1. As in the special operation of the machine to be described hereinafter the sorting mechanism is not effective to distribute the cards to other pockets, it will be sufficient to state that all cards fed by the rollers I2 are carried beneath all the sorting blades I8 into the reject pocket, the usual sorting magnet I9 not being operated.

The reference numeral 2D in Fig. 3 generally indicates a multi-column selecting commutator like the one described in Patent No. 1,933,357, the segments being represented by open squares 2l while the common contact rin-gs are designated 22. This commutator rotatesat the rate of one revolution per card cycle. A' brush 23 coacts with each common ring 22 while a brush 24 coacts with each of the rows of segments 2I. Brushes 23 are connected in common to line wire 25 through safety contacts 26, 21 while brushes 24 are connected individually to brushes I4 through switches 28.

Since the sorting magnet I3 is not used in the special selecting operation hereinafter described, no attempt will be made to describe the circuits used for sorting operations requiring a single brush as the circuits and operation when sorting under control of a single brush are described in Patent No. 1,933,357. Switches 29, 3D, 3|, 32 are placed in the dotted line positions (Fig. 3) and the single brush I1 replaces the brushes I4 when single brush sorting is desired. It will be assumed hereinafter that the machine is conditioned for the special selecting operation and all the switches 35 to 32 are in solid line position.

Two special selecting commutators are provided for controlling the machine when the special selecting operation is desired and are generally designated 33, 34 in Fig. 3. Commutator 34 has a single segment 35 with which brushes 36, 31 cooperate. This commutator turns at the rate of one revolution per card cycle. Commutator 33 has three segments 38, 39, 4I! and is geared to be driven at the rate of one revolution in tworsuccessive card cycles. Fig. 4 shows a developed View of segments 35, 38, 33, 40 in Ytheir proper relation, the shaded parts representing conducting material. Brushes 31, 4I, 42, 43 are common brushes and bear on the continuous parts of the segments 35, 38, 39, 4l] with which they are associated, while the brush 38 and the pairs of brushes 44, 45, 46, 41, and 48, 49 bear on the discontinuous portions of the commutator segments 35, 38, 39, 48, respectively.

Brushes 4l and 43 are connected in common to line wire 25 through safety contacts 21, brush 42 is connected to switch 3; brushes 46, 41 are connected to switch 32 through two series circuits comprising the-coils of relays B, C and A, D, respectively; while brushes 44, 45 are connected to the normally closed contacts BI, AI of relays B and A, respectively. Switch 32-is connected toV line wire 55 through a fuse. The contacts of relays A and B are connected in common to switch 32 through a magnet coil 5I and the commutator 34.

The correct relation oi one series' of seg-- ments of commutator 20 to commutator 33 is shown in Fig. 4.

Magnet coil 5I is mounted to one side of the reject pocket R (Figs. l and 2) near the top of the pocket and on the rear side of the back wall of the pocket. Coil 5I actuates an armature 52 secured to the end of a short rod 53 extending through the rear wall of the reject pocket into the latter. Inside the pocket a pusher plate 54 is secured to the rod. Normally the pusher plate 54 is out of the path of cards falling into the reject pocket R, being held in this position by a coil spring surrounding rod 53 and interposed between the magnet yoke 55 and armature 52. If the magnet is energized while a card is falling into the reject pocket such card will receive a quick blow from pusher plate 54 so that it be displaced forwardly and will fall into the position of card 55 in Fig. 2, otherwise the card will fall in the normal way into the position of the top card 51 which has been shaded in Fig. '2 to distinguish it from card 56. The rear edge of card 58 is shown by a dotted line. l

Commutatcr 34 is so timed that any operating impulse delivered to magnet coil 5I will be emitted while the card 55 (Fig. 2) to be preferentially treated is falling past the pusher plate 54 `so that the front edge of such card will be pushed forward and project farther forward than the front edges Vof the unselected cards. In order to prevent the selected cards from being pushed or ipped too far by the pusher plate 54, there is provided a stop plate 58 which may be hinged to the front edge of one of the side walls 59 of the reject pocket. Any suitable means may be used to retain the stop plate 58 in its active or inactive positions. such as friction in the hinge, or a leaf spring catch.

It will be assumed that it is desired to examine all cards relating to a given group such as are designated with the number 132, these cards being scattered through the iile. The upper three switches 28 are closed and the carrier I6 adjusted manually in a well known Way so that the upper three brushes I4 sense the three columns of the cards in which the number 132 is designated by holes. The commutator 2D is conditioned for the selecting operation by settingV all the switches associated with the upper three rows of segments 2| to current conducting position save for the 1 segment in the top row,

the 3 segment in the next'highest row, andV the 2 segment of the lowest of the three selected rows. understood by referenceto Patent No. 1,933,357 where the specific construction of the switches and the manner of setting them are fully described. In Fig. 3 the small circles 60 represent switches in current conducting position to cause theV adjacent segment 2| to be connected to one ofthe common contact rings 22 while the absence of such a circle indicates that the adjacent segment is not connected to aring 22. Thus, the circles are absent adjacent the 1,, 3, and 2l segments of the top, middle, and rlowest rows, respectively, ofthe top three used for selecting purposes.

If, during the first of any two successive cycles, a card punched 132 is sensed by the upper three brushes I4 (Fig. 3) no circuits will be established through the commutator 28 during the first cycle since the segments 2l corresponding to the Values l, 3 and 2 in the upper three rows of segments are not electrically connected to the adjacent rings 22.

This operation will be more fullyV Consequently, during of the second cycle and brush becomes insuthesecond 'cycle a circuit will be established as follows at the Itime when the card punched 132 is about to pass pusher plate 54, which will occur after the 0 point in the cycle (Fig. 4): Line wire 425,'safetycontacts21, brush 4|, segment 38, brush 44, the contacts'Bl of relay B, magnet coil 5|, segment 35 and brushes 36, 31 ofv commutator 34, and switch 32, to line wire 50. Energization of coil 5| while the card is passing will flip or deflect it forward against stop plate 58 as indicated by the card'56. If the following card sensed during the second cycle is also punched 132 the operation will be the same during the third cycle except .that in this kcase the circuit willl extend through brush 45 and the contacts 'Al of relay Av during `the third cycle. f .l i Suppose afcard designated 134 had been sensed by brushes I4 during the first of the two cycles instead of the card Adesignated' 132. Since the switch'1associatedr with-thev 4 segment 2| in the third row from the top is in current conducting position as indicated by the small circle '60, a circuit will be established as follows at the 4 point in the rst cycle, that is, when the third brush 28 from 'the top senses the 4 hole in the card: Line wire 25, safety contacts 21, 26, brush 23 of the second ring 22 from the top, said ring, the switch associated with the 4 segment 2| in the third row from the top, said segment, thethird switch 28 from the top and its brush 4, contact roll I3, common brush |3a, safety contacts 26a, switch 30, brush-42,segment 39, brush 46, the coils of relays C'and B, and switch 32 to line wire 5|).l The contacts'Cl of relay C establish a holding circuit for relays B and C through brush 49, segment 4D, brush 43, and safety contacts 21, to line w'ire25.l

It will be assumed forthe moment, that the contacts' of relay A have been opened by the passage during the previous cycle of a card designated with a number other than 132 by an action similar tothe one being described so that the contacts of relay A remain open up to'the 11 point in the rst cycle. 'Ihus the magnet 5| will not be energized during the rst cycle because contacts AI and Bi are both open. 'I'he relay B will remain energized up to the 11 point of the second cycle due to the shape of commutator segment 40. Segment 35 will break contact with brush 36 and segment 40 with brush 49 just before the 12 position (Fig. 4) of the second cycle deenergizing relay B. Thus magnet 5| is not energized during the second cycle. If the next card, sensed during the second cycle, is not punched 132 the machine operates as above during the second cycle except that in this case the relays A and D are energized, the holding circuit for relay A is maintained into the third cycle through brush 48 and contacts DI of relay D.

When a card designated 132 is followed by one not so designated, one of the relays, say relay B, will not be energized during the rst cycle While relay A will be energized during the second cycle. During the second cycle relay B will still be deenergized and contacts BI closed so that segments 35 and 38 will cooperate at the 11 point to close a circuit through magnet coil 5| by way of contacts BI and brushes 36, 31, 4|, 44. Relay A will become energized at some point prior to the l1 point in the second cycle but will have no effect during the second cycle as brush 36 will be insulated up to the 11 point lated before the 11 point. Thus during the second cycle, the first card will be displaced in the R pocket as the card falls on top of the others.

During the third cycle relay A will be keptenergized up to the 11 point holding contactsv A| open thereby preventing a circuit from being established through magnet 5I by way of brushes 4|, 45 and 36, 31 and contacts Al. The relays A and B are energized on alternate cycles and alternately prevent magnet 5| from operating when a succession of cards not designated 132 pass the brushes|4. 1

Each card designated 132 will be flipped forward so as to project beyond the other cards. After offsetting the cards in this manner itis a simple manner to inspect the offset cards `without disturbing the sequence ofthe file. When the inspection has been completed the cards can be replaced 4in the drawers of thev ling cabinets,`

no further sorting operations being required to restore the cards to their original sequence. The offsetting operation requires very little time since the machine may be run at full speed and the operator merely has to keep the h-opper I0 full and see that the R pocket does not become too full.

The total time required to effect an inspection of the le by the method -described above is very small in comparison to a complete search of the file by a clerk, and the fact that the cards do not have to be restored to their original sequence when the inspection is complete results in a great saving of time in machine sorting. As an illusv .3 trationgiassume that the le contains 10,000

cards which are in alphabetical order by'name and that those cards relating to class 132 are to be inspected. Name sorting to be effective requires that thecards be ysorted with respect to at least ten collurnns'of the name field, owing to the number of common names like Smith, Johnson, and others' well known. This` means two complete sorting operations per 'column when the;

well known two hole code is used, or twenty passes of each card through the machine. This means that the 10,000 cards of the le must be sorted twenty times for each card, or in effect, requires sorting 200,000 cards. Commercial sorting machines have a maximum reliable operating speed of about 400 cards per minute. Thus, it would require a minimum of 8% hours to restore the 10,000 cards to their original sequence if the device and procedure of Patent No. 1,933,357 were used to rst segregate the cards of class 132 for inspection.

If the 10,000 cards had to be resorted according to six digit serial numbers or classification numn bers to restore them to their original sequence,

it would require at least 21/2 hours to perform this operation. As a f1le of 10,000 cards would be regarded as a small one, it will be appreciated that even the simplest machine method of restoring the cards to their original order requires a very appreciable amount of time.

It is quite evident that the present invention effects a very considerable saving in time in comparison with the most direct and fastest method of machine sorting hitherto possible.

If, during the inspection of the cards any are found to be incorrect they can be verified, new ones punched, and the new cards inserted in the file in place of the incorrectly punched cards without requiring further sorting operations.

While there has been shown and described and pointed out the fundamental novel features of the invention as applied to a single modication itwill -be understood that various omissions and substitutions and changes in the form and details of the device illustrated and in its operation maybe made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention. It is the intention, therefore, to be limited only as indicated by the scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is: 1. In a sorting machine, having a record analyzing station and a record receiving station, means to feed analyzed records from the firstnamed station to the second-named station, a

record displacing device located at said receiving station and operable to displace an analyzed record transversely of its line of travel and in its own plane an extent less than the dimension of the record in the direction of displacement whereby certain records may be caused to project beyond the other records at the receiving station, said device including a. magnet for operating said device, a selector device presettable to be responsive to predetermined designations in the records as they pass the analyzing station, a pair of control circuits for said magnet, each responsive to control by the selector device, and a commutator device operable to connect said circuits to the selector device alternately whereby said circuits are rendered effective in alternate cycles.

2i. In a sorting machine having a record analyzing station and a record receiving station, means to feed analyzed records from the analyzing station to the receiving station, a pusher device located at the receiving station and operable to displace analyzed records transversely of their line of feed and in their own plane an extent less than the dimension of the record in the direction vof displacement as the record reaches said station whereby certain records may be caused to project beyond other records at said station, a plurality of control means for causing said pusher device to operate, a selector device responsive to predetermined designations in the records when they pass the analyzing station, and means to successively place the control means for the pusher device under control of the selector device whereby `said control means are rendered "operative during succeeding cycles when the analyzed records reach said station.

- 3. In a sorting machine vhaving a record analyzing station and a record receiving station, means to feed records from the analyzing'station to the receiving station; a vpusher device located at said lstation and operable to displace records transvers'elyof their line of feed and in their own planes an extent less than the dimension of the 'records in the direction of displacement whereby certain records may be caused to project beyond other records at said station, vsaid pusher device including a magnet for operating said device; a selector device responsive to Apredetermined designations; a pair of control circuits for said magnet, said circuits including relays responsive to the selector device and operative to control said magnet; and a commutator for 'connecting the selector device tosaid circuits alternately whereby the circuits may be controlled by said selector device during alternate cycles.

4. In a sorting machine having an analyzing station and a record receiving station, vmeans for feeding records from the analyzing station to the receiving station, a pusher device operable to displace a record transversely of its line of feed and in its own plane an extent less than the dimension of the record inthe direction of displacement whereby the record may be caused to ,project beyond other records at said station, a. multi-column selector device .presettable to vbe responsive to predetermined `designations rin the records when they pass .said station, and means controlled by the selector devices for operating said pusher devicein accordance with the set up of the selector device, said last named means including a plurality of control circuits for said device and a commutator device for rendering said circuits effective in succeeding cycles to cause operation of the pusher device lwhen records having designations agreeing with the set up of the selector device reach the receiving station.

WILHELM A HOFFMANN. 

